Chapter 15 Bonus Scene

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Chapter 15 Bonus Scene

"Well, that was surprising," Gideon remarked to Seth as they watched from above while Edward and Jasper talked.

Seth beamed a brilliant smile and shrugged his shoulders at Gideon's remark. "I suppose, yes, but Edward seems to be doing that a lot lately," he said with a shake of his head.

"He really has come a long way already," Gideon told his friend. "You have done amazingly well with him, Seth. I'm very proud of you."

Seth nodded once in acknowledgment of the praise but didn't say anything else for a bit. He watched Edward and Jasper finish their talk and he couldn't help but laugh at Jasper's teasing of Edward and his bracelet. Not that he didn't think they weren't a sweet sentiment, because he did, but really, it was a very un-Edward like thing to do.

"Are you worried how Edward's talk with Isabella about Anna will go?" Gideon questioned once Jasper left Edward's office.

Seth floated around in a circle for a few moments before he answered. Was he worried? In all honesty, he wasn't, not really. Isabella understood Edward in a way no one else did or really ever could so he was fairly confident that once Edward told her everything, she would understand. That didn't mean she wouldn't get upset, a thought which caused Seth's heart to hurt, but he was afraid it couldn't be avoided. Edward should have had this talk with her long ago, and even though he understood his charge's reticence to do so, it didn't make it right.

"Not particularly," Seth finally answered. "In this case, Edward and Anna were both wrong, and I'm quite sure the lovely Isabella will understand that."

"You are right, Seth, and I am sure it will probably answer some questions she's had for some time. I'm a bit worried about her, more so than young Edward at this point," Gideon said slowly and watched as Seth squeezed his eyes shut and curled his fingers into a tight fist.

Seth let out a mighty sigh. The sound was loud and sounded like a raging thunderstorm. Gideon knew how much it would upset Seth to hear his concerns, but his young prodigy needed to hear them. "Why?" Seth questioned, his ice blue eyes full of pain and sadness.

Gideon sat, well, he floated but he let his being relax and invited Seth to do the same. Once they had settled themselves, Gideon went on in what his pupils called his 'teaching voice'. "Seth, my friend, I know as well as you do how much Isabella has had to endure over the past five plus years. She has suffered every bit as much as Edward has, perhaps even more so, because while he wasn't aware of what he was doing to her, she lived with the pain of his indifference and his unwillingness to show her the affection she needed day in and day out. If it was any other woman, they would have given up on Edward long ago, but because she loves him so fully and deeply, she couldn't.

"Right now both she and Edward are caught up in this whirlwind romance and while it is beautiful and heartwarming to watch, there has to come a point where she will question everything. She'll get mad, or upset, or both and we both need to be prepared for that. Edward is doing remarkably well, but what happens at the first sign of Isabella's unhappiness? Will he revert back to the way he was? Will he be able to understand that just because she's lashing out at him, or whomever it might be, that doesn't mean she loves him any less? Or will he have enough faith and trust to know that he is worthy of her and her love? You must be ready to help him see and understand when the time comes, because I assure you it will, so that he doesn't undo all the progress he's made thus far. He can't afford that time, Seth, you know this," Gideon finished gently but firmly.

"I know," Seth answered back quietly. He'd been worried about the same thing for weeks now.

Isabella was a remarkable woman, but she was only human. There was only so much she would and could be expected to carry until it finally got to be too much.

"I have faith in you, Seth. I know you can help him and her when the time comes; I just want you to be ready for when it does," Gideon said and then patted him on the shoulder before floating away.

"I hope so," Seth answered once he'd gone and looked below.

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Jasper left the office and immediately pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial. As soon as the call connected, he smiled. "Ali, sugar, are you at the restaurant already?"

"Hi, Jazzy. Yes, I just got here. You're running late aren't you?" Alice asked her husband what she was sure was a rhetorical question. Jasper was always late.

Jasper chuckled at his wife, she knew him so well. "Yes, but just a few minutes. I was talking with Edward and lost track of time. Why don't you order me an iced tea and a burger and I'll be there in a few. Love you, sugar," he told her in his sexy southern drawl.

"Love you, too." She giggled and then hung up.

He hurried to the restaurant, knowing Alice wasn't mad at him, thank goodness. Besides, when he told her about meeting Edward and Bella during the first intermission on Saturday night, she'd forget all about his being late anyway or at least that was what he was counting on.

Once he was shown to their table and kissed his wife hello, he sat down and took a drink of already perfectly sweetened iced tea and smiled at Alice. "I'm sorry I was late, Ali."

She waved him off; it was really no big deal. Not only was she used to it, but she wanted to hear about his talk with Edward. "Were you and Edward talking business or was it personal?" she asked.

Alice knew how worried her husband had been about his best friend. He'd talked to her about it but because he knew Edward better than anyone besides Bella, he knew he had to wait for Edward to come to him, no matter how crazy that drove him.

Jasper smiled as he thought about his best friend and the talk they'd just had. Edward hadn't fully convinced him there wasn't more going on with him than he'd told him, but it was good enough for now. "Personal, sugar. Oh, by the way, we're meeting Edward and Bella at the opera on Saturday night during the first intermission and we're going out afterward to celebrate Bella's birthday," he said and laughed when his adorable wife jumped up and down in her seat at that news.

There was nothing he loved more than seeing his wife happy.

"Really? Oh goodness, I'll need to talk to Rose and figure out what to get Bella for her birthday. I wonder what Bella is wearing to the performance? Oh, I wonder if I can set up spa appointments for the three of us for Saturday morning?" Alice began to rattle off excitedly.

Jasper hated to burst her bubble, but he didn't have a choice. "Sugar, Edward is spending the weekend in the city with Bella at the penthouse. He's taking her out Saturday morning then they're meeting her family for lunch. You're going to have to settle for having her Saturday night," he told her as he patted her hand.

"Well, shit." Alice pouted and stomped her foot beneath the table, which caused Jasper to laugh again.

Alice thought for a few seconds before she gasped. "Jazzy, that doesn't sound like Edward at all."

"No shit. We talked for quite awhile this morning and I swear it was like talking to a completely different person, Ali. He mentioned his childhood, sugar, before he came to live with Carlisle and Esme," Jasper told her quietly.

"Jasper," Alice said and immediately reached for his hand. She could tell by the tone of Jasper's voice that whatever he and Edward had talked about affected him deeply.

Jasper squeezed her hand and then looked at her. "He asked me to forgive him, Alice. Can you believe that?" He shook his head as he remembered what Edward had told him earlier and how he looked when he'd said it. "Like he even needed to ask. He's my best friend and there is still so much about him I don't know. Something happened to him, something bad; I know it. I just wish he'd tell me what it was so I could help him," Jasper said in a pained voice.

"Jazzy, from everything you've told me and listening to what Rose and Em have said, it's obvious he's starting to open up to everyone. I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready. Bella, you, Emmett, Rose - you've all been there for him all this time; he knows that," Alice told him.

Jasper ran a hand through his hair and smiled at his wife. She always had a way of making him feel better. He laughed out loud though when he thought about Edward stuttering and stammering about that bracelet. "You should have seen him, sugar. He bought these friendship bracelets for him and Bella and he turned a shade of red I've never seen before when he tried to tell me that I was his best friend but she was his best, best friend. Funniest thing I've ever seen." Jasper chuckled.

"Aw, that's so sweet," Alice replied immediately. Very unlike the Edward she knew, but apparently most things he did nowadays were un-Edward like.

Jasper nodded. "It really was. It's about damn time he was happy. Bella deserves it, but he does, too. I'm anxious to see how Saturday night goes. Anna and Vincent are both going to be there. Hopefully Edward isn't stupid enough to not tell Bella about Anna before Saturday," he said with a shiver.

That would not be pleasant for any of them, he thought.

"I'm sure he will, Jazzy," Alice said hopefully.

"He's different, sugar. There is no doubt about it, and I just hope it lasts," he said and then turned his attention on his wife while they finished their lunch.

Far above, Seth said a quick prayer for the same thing. Edward had no idea how much everyone was counting on him to do all he needed to do.

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